Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATN @FETCH R. H. HARRISON, OF LAUREL, MARYLAND.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,791, dated July 6, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. HARRISON, of Laurel, in the county of Prince Georges and State o-f Maryland, have invented and made certain new and useful Improvements in Vashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the machine, with a fragment of the side of the tub part taken out, exposing the slat suspension, bottom and the beaded or ridged balls.

The nature of my improvements consists in constructing a washing machine, wherein the clothes to be washed are rubbed between the surfaces of an open, grating like, secondary, bottom, and the surfaces of beaded, ridged, ribbed, or roughened floating rolling elastic or wooden balls, through which devices, any particular portion, or part of a single garment can be washed thoroughly. These balls, may be beaded, transversely, longitudinally, obliquely or otherwise. The better however to give a. perfect description of the nature and principle pertaining to my improvements and the operation thereof, I will describe the same more fully.

At a, a, a, a, is an outside, surrounding bottom of any suitable wooden or metallic material, lof an oval, or semicylindrical form; and at Z), b, b, b, b is an open, grating like slatted, ribbed, or fluted, secondary bottom, formed of strips or slats, having ridges, or beaded formations c, c, c, c, c, c, c. These strips or slats, l), c, c-, c, c-b, c, cb, c, c, are from two to three inches wide, and arranged within the surrounding bottom, transversely across the machine, leaving spaces or openings between, from half an inch to one inch apart as at cl, (Z, d, and from one to two inches above the surrounding bottom, leaving a space between around as at cZ2-cZ2-Z2, F1g. 2. The lateral or side surroundings e, e, e, e are beaded, fluted or grooved vertically, (or obliquely) as at f, f, f, f, j", f, The ends of the tub or receptacle part a, a, a, -e, e, c, terminate in concave curves g, g, g, instead of angles or straight terminations. This receptacle or tub part a, a, e, e, may vary in size and dimensions, according to requirements, and may be open on top., or have hinged doors 7L, 7L, z, 7L. Vithin this peculiarly formed tub, or receptacle, are used one or more hundred beaded ribbed, ridged, or roughened, round, or oval formed elastic or soft wood balls z', 1', i, z', z', i, z', z', z', z', z'.

The wash tub or receptacle part a, a, a, is swung or suspended by its center, from the top edge of t-he sides, by journals or axles J, J resting in boxes or journal places, formed in, or attached to the top rails of the framing, or stand part 7c, 7c, 7c, 7c of the machine. This framing or stand part, may be made of any substantial form to suit convenience; and to the side, parallel with the longitudinal top rail 7c, 7c, is a strip rail L, L, L, attached to bloc rs m, m, of suitable thickness, so as to throw the strip rail L, L, L, one or more inches off from the rail 7c, la, leaving a longitudinal space n, n, n, in which is to pass upward, a hand rocking lever 0, `0, 0, 0, connected at its lower extremity to the lower rail of the framing or stand by a joint pin, or fulcrum bolt p. This rocking lever has a slotted formation or oblong opening of sufficient length and size, in which slides or moves a rod g, g, of suitable size. This rod being inserted horizontally into the side of the tub, at the center of the length of the circumference, in a vertical line with the axis or journal J, J.

The operation of my machine is as follows: A sufficient quantity of water is used with soap deposited in it, the clothes are thrown in, and the operator of the machine, stands alongside thereof, and taking hold of the handle, or upper part of the rocking lever 0, 0, 0, pushes it back and forth, giving the upper end or handle, eight or ten inches sweep; and as the rod g, g, plays in the slot 1, r, the t-ub or receptacle part is caused thereby to rock or oscillate more or less according to the movement of the rocking lever, and thereby the water is agitated, the balls and clothes are set in motion, and the washing or rubbing action is brought about; the balls mingling up with the clothes, while the beaded slats, and beaded balls perform the functions of rubbing, as the clothes are rocked and tossed back and forth; and the water agitated by the motion of the machine, strikes in' between the spaces d, d, d, d, d of the grate like, secondary bottom, producing thereby the suds, which percolates through and through the clothes, as they move to and fro; thus thoroughly detaching the dirt, causing the sedimentary matter to descend, or ilter downward between the slats and deposit on the surrounding bottom a, a, a, a, a, which can be provided with a spigot inserted in the bottom or side of the machine, 'through which the filthy water or suds can be drawn oil", leaving the clothes and balls resting on the slats b, c, c-b, c, b, c, c, when fresh clean water can be applied, and thus the clothes are effectually cleansed, ready for wringing and drying, in a very brief space of time, and with about one third the usual labor.

Vhen the wristbands, or any particular portion of a garment requires special washing, the garment is arranged pendantly at s, from the edge top, connecting with the lid o r cover, so that the dirty portion can rest on the ribs or beads Z), c, c-b, 0, cwhile the balls e', z', z', z', e', will in passing or rolling back and forth, press on and rub against and over the desired part of the gar'- ment; and in this peculiar feature of operating the machine, a decided improved mechanical principle of washing is developed.

It will be perceived, that the rod g, g, working in the slot fr, 7', operates also as an alternating moving fulcrum, and consewhat I claim as new, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent of the United States; is-

The construction of a washing machine having a concave bottom a, a, a, a, a, with a secondary, grating like or fluted, bottom b, c, 0 2), 0, c-Z), c, 0,' the slotted rocking lever o, 0, 0 4, r, and the corrugated balls z', z', z', z', or other equivalents, the whole constructed, arranged, and operated substantially in the manner as herein set forth and described.

R. H. HARRISON [L s] Vitnesses ED. I. GALLAHER, JOHN S. GALLAHER. 

